Toot Toot! The highlight of our adventure to Melbourne was the Puffing Billy Railway. It is one of finest preserved steam railways in the world which was built in 1900. We got to ride in the open sided carriage which departed from Belgrave and made its way through beautiful eucalyptus forests, fern gullies and over the iconic wooden trestle bridge which is over 120 years old. Lunch was at the quaint little town of Emerald.
On day 3 , we ventured onto the city and saw the Royal Arcade, Bourke St Mall and admired the best street art in the narrow laneways including the famous AC/DC lane. In the afternoon we enjoyed the sights of the Southbank Promenade, where we boarded our Yarra River Cruise and saw the busiest trading ports, along with the modern Docklands area. Watch out for the low bridges. For dinner, we enjoyed the atmosphere of the iconic heritage listed Queensberry Hotel which is 165years old. Yum yum.
On our last day we went to the Melbourne Goal – a step inside a world where some of Australia’s most infamous criminals were held, including Ned Kelly. We discovered the harsh realities of being in a 19th century prison.
In the Watch House we got to experience a “real life “encounter of what it would feel like to be arrested and locked up in a police station which only closed its doors in 1994. We were treated like real criminals…. hahaha.
After our prison break we went to Queen Victoria markets for some souvenir and classic market shopping.
We all certainly enjoyed the natural and heritage experiences of Melbourne.
